Group tour Operator for holidays to Salzkammergut, Austria

Depart the UK

Drive to Dover and take the short sea ferry crossing to Calais.  Continue south through France stopping overnight in the Reims/Metz area.  Dinner is included at the hotel.

Travel to Austria

After breakfast continue through France, into Germany and on to Austria before arriving at your hotel in the beautiful Austrian Lake District for the next 6 nights.  Dinner will be in the hotel this evening.

At Leisure

A day at leisure to relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel and explore the surrounding area.  Dinner will be taken in the hotel this evening.

Scenic Lakes Tour

Take a scenic drive along Wolfgangsee to St. Wolfgang and visit the famous and historic ‘White Horse Inn’ hotel, set in a truly picturesque location.  Take some time to wander around at leisure or enjoy some coffee and cake, overlooking the lake.  Named for a local saint, the lake is dominated by the 1783-m Schafberg Mountain, the summit of which features Austria’s oldest inn and incredible panoramic views over the lakes. (Optional steam train ride to the summit on the Schafberg Railway possible, subject to weather conditions)

From here, drive to Mondsee which extends from the northern tip of the crescent-shaped lake with which it shares a name. It is best known for its 15^th century parish church and its yellow facade made famous in the wedding scene from film ‘The Sound of Music’ 

Head back to the hotel for dinner and an evening at leisure.

Romantic Salzburg – Mozart and ‘The Sound of Music’

A full day excursion to the fairytale city of Salzburg.  Being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the setting for many of the scenes from the film ‘The Sound of Music’ Salzburg has a character all of its own.

A guided walking tour through the traffic-free streets is followed by free time to explore more of the old town. Perhaps visit Mozart’s birthplace, or take the funicular up to the medieval cliff top Hohensalzburg fortress that overlooks the city and old town, but shadowed by gargantuan mountains.

Return to the hotel for dinner and an evening at leisure.

Pottery and Paddlesteamer

Drive to historic Gmunden where you can wander around lakeside squares and pretty promenades with their Mediterranean atmosphere.  Gmunden is famous for its historic salt mining and ceramics industries and a guided visit and tour of the local pottery factory is included.  Here you will discover the secrets behind their famous hand-painted “Gmundenceramic” with the option to make purchases from the onsite shop.

We will then embark on an historic paddlesteamer cruise over the turquoise waters of Austria’s deepest lake, Traunsee,  to the charming market town of Ebensee, where the coach will be waiting for the journey back to the hotel and dinner

Bad Ischl and Hallstatt

Bad Ischl is a popular holiday and spa resort.  There’s time to explore the parks and gardens and see the Kaiservilla, the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I.  It was from here that he sent the letter announcing war with Serbia in 1914, sparking the start of the First World War.

Continue to Hallstatt, one of the most beautiful villages in the lake district with wonderful views across Hallstattersee.  Here, there will be time to wander along the lakeside promenade admiring the views and a must see visit to the ‘Bone House’ Chapel of the Skulls.  Hallstatt has many unique characteristics including its houses that nestle like swallows’ nests between the lake and the mountain sides.  It is also the archaeological heart of the World Heritage Region and home to the world’s oldest working salt mine (Optional lake cruises and Salt mine visits available)

Depart Austria

It’s time to leave Austria, retracing our route via Germany and into France where we will stop overnight in the Reims/Metz area.  Dinner is included at the hotel.

Return to the UK

Depart after breakfast and continue towards Calais to take the short sea ferry crossing to Dover, and home.

Königssee and the Eagle’s Nest

Cross the border into Bavaria to visit the Königssee, a beautiful lake with crystal clear waters and Germany’s third deepest.  Before heading up to the Eagle’s Nest, spend some time at the lake which offers some shops, bars and cafes.  Optional boat trips are also available where visitors can glide along the length of the lake in an quiet electric boat, past vertical mountain walls to the much-photographed baroque church of Sankt Bartholomä.  Along the way, the boatman blows a blast on his trumpet and the echoes bounce back from the mountain walls.

We then visit the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s former mountain-top residence, now part museum and part restaurant. Specially-equipped mountain buses take you the final part of the journey along a spectacular 6.5km route up to the rock face where a luxurious brass lift whisks you up through the rock to reach the Kehlsteinhaus itself. After touring the historical building enjoy another panoramic view of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps.  (Please note that groups must be pre-booked but payment is to be made direct on arrival.  Seasonal opening usually mid May to end September – weather dependent).